Turkey Vulture
At close range the Turkey Vulture is not a beautiful creature—its carriage is slovenly, its facial expression unpleasant, and its plumage harsh; but circling in the sky, its wide wings hardly moving for hours at a time, it becomes a glorified being, among the most graceful and well-balanced of our soaring birds.
It is equipped by Nature as a carrion-eater, the bare head and neck permitting it to eat the flesh of dead animals without soiling its feathers. Its feet are not used in capturing or carrying prey, but a considerable burden may be carried in the bill. When Vultures find a dead cow or horse, word seems to travel immediately to all nearby districts and the great birds swing silently in to the feast. They are frequently seen along roadsides where they devour rabbits and other small mammals which have been killed by motor cars.
It is said that the Turkey Vulture carries the germs of hog cholera and the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease. This is only occasionally, if ever, true, however, and, as a rule, it is a harmless and highly beneficial bird. Nevertheless, it is not protected in Pennsylvania at the present time.
Young Vultures cannot stand when newly hatched.
MARSH HAWK
Circus cyaneus hudsonius (Linnæus)
Marsh Hawk
Male Female
Other Names.—Swamp Hawk; Marsh Harrier; Pigeon Hawk (erroneous); Chicken Hawk; Hen Harrier.
Description.—Face with an owl-like ruff of feathers; wings and tail long; feet long and slender. Adult male: Upperparts light ashy gray, somewhat darker on top of head, and slightly streaked on neck; tips of wings black; tail barred with black; upper tail-coverts white; lower parts white, grayer on throat and upper breast, and flecked with pale reddish brown on sides and flanks; eyes bright yellow. Adult female: Plumage rich brown, considerably mottled throughout, sometimes heavily streaked with blackish below, and feathers sometimes considerably margined with buffy; upper tail-coverts always white; eyes yellow. Immature birds are usually plain brown, unstreaked below, and have brown eyes. The feet are always yellow. Length: About 20 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common though somewhat local migrant and summer resident from March 15 to November 1. Less often seen in the mountainous counties and occasionally noted in winter. Its summer range depends more or less upon swampy country in which the nest is characteristically built.
Nest.—On the ground in a swamp, composed of dead weed-stalks, cat-tail leaves, and similar materials, sometimes with neat cup and lining, at other times loosely constructed with little attempt at neatness. Eggs: 4 to 7, pale blue or chalky white, occasionally faintly spotted with brown.